Steerable road vehicle



April 21, 1931. A. c. HUTT 1,802,256

STEERABLE ROAD VEHI CLE Filed July k6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l April 21, 1931. A, C HUTT 1,802,256

STEERABLE ROAD VEHICLE Filed July 6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 www April 21, 1931. A Cl HUT-r 1,802,256

STEERABLE ROAD VEHI CLE Fled July 6, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 A. C. HUTT April 21, 1931.

STEERABLE ROAD VEHICLE Filed July 6, 1928 4- sheets-sheet 4 Patented pr.l21-, 1931 PATENT OFI-ice UNITED sTATEs ARTHUR CYRIL HUTT, F SHREWSBURY, ENGLAND, A SSIGNOIB. TO THE SENTINEL c 'WAGGON WORKS LIMITED, 0F LONDON, ENGLAND, A BRITISH COMPANY STEERAIBLE ROAD VEHICLE -Application led J'uly 6, 1928, Serial No. 290,800, and in Great Britain March 22, 1928.

This invention is for improvements in or relatlng -to steerable road-vehicles and has for one of its objects to improve road-vehicles of the type having six or more road-wheels. In particular, the invention aims at improving the steering and smooth running qualities of the vehicles.

It'is a further object of the invention to provide an eight-wheeled road-vehicle whereof four of the wheels are steerable, and whereof the wheels are arranged in pairs, two pairs at each side of the vehicle, and the wheels in a pairebeing able to adjust themselves vertically to accommodate irregularities in the ground.

For a more complete understanding of the invention, there will now bedescribed, by way of example only and with reference to the accompanying drawings, certain constructional forms of road-vehicle according to the invention. It is to be understood, however, that Ythe invention is not restricted to the precise constructional details set forth. P

In these drawings- Figure-1 is a side elevation of one form of eightheeled vehicle according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a horizontal section on the line 2-2 of Figure 3 through the front wheels and main axle o the vehicle, and is on a scale larger than that of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of shown in Figure 2;`

the parts Figure 4 is a part1al section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, butl on a scale larger than that of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a small scale diagrammatic view illustrating the vehicle;

Figure 6 is to Figure 3, struction; y

Figure 7 is a plan, partly in section, of certain of the parts shownin Figure.;

Figure 8 is a'- a side elevation corresponding but showing a modified conside ele'vat1on corresponding to Figures 3 and 6, but showing, a further modiication, and

Figure 9 is a, plan of certain of the parts shown in Figure 8.

zontal surfaceof a bracket 19 carried by turning circle 'ot the upon the endsof the Like reference numerals indicate like parts throughout the drawings.

Referring firstly to Figures 1 to 5, the vehlcle therein illustrated is steam-driven and 1s supported on a front steerable undercar` r1age and a rear propelling undercarriage. A steam boiler 10 is mounted at the front end of the vehicle, and a horizontal steamengine 11v is arranged beneath the vehicle frame 12 between the two undercarriages. The rear undercarriage has four road-wheels and may be of any desired construction, such as that described in my co-pending patent application, Serial No. 268,582, led .April 9, 1928, Ain which the road-wheels are carried upon a single through-axle so as to be able to swing vertically labout the latterto accommodate irregularities in the ground.-

lar framemember or cross-axle 14 having a air of semielliptic springs 15 mounted on it 'by brackets 16, these springs 15 serving to support the vehicle-frame 12. For this purpose, the leading end of each spring is anchored by apin 17 to a bracket 18 dependingf from the frame 12, and the rear end of each spring. is arranged to slide between a hopit e Jframe -12 and a cross-pin20 on thebracket. A pair of trunnion-frames 21 and 22 is 4journalled on the axle 14, one at each end. HEach trunnion-frame is of anchor formation and comprises a central bearing 23, 24 which 'embraces the axle 14 and curved arms 25, 26

and 27, 28 whereof the ends lie substantially Y 14. Thetrunnion-rames tooscillate within limits axle 12 and they carry road-wheels 29, 30 and 31, 32, respectively.

-The end of each of the curved arms of the parallel to the axle 21 and 22 are free `trunnion-trames is forked, see particularly Figure ,to provide two bearings 33 and 34 one above the other, and is also provided with a detachable end cap 37. Within these bearings lies the steering axis ,of the correspondi ing road-wheel. The road-wheels have concave 'walls 35 with the concave face directed towards the inside of the vehicle, and each wheel is mounted upon a stub-axle 3G which is received in the interior of a sleeve 38 having upward and downward extensions 39 and 40 which are received in the bearings 33 and 34. Consequently, the ordinary travelling rotation of the road-wheel takes place about the axis of the stub-axle 36, and steering takes place about the axis of the extensions 39 and 40, while movement to accommodate road irregularities takes place about the axis of the main axle 14. 1n this way, any two associated road-wheels on the one side of the vehicle will be able to share their load more or less equally between them. lt will be ap'- preciated that the steering axis is located inside the coneavity ot the road-wheel which enables the point ot Contact of the tyre on the road to be approximately in line with the steering axis, so that the steering effort shall be as small as possible. The anchor shape of the arms 25, 26, 27 and 23 allows the roadwheels to be turned through the angle necessary for the steering lock Ychosen for the vchicle.

The off'side stub-axles are provided with levers 41, 42 which are secured on the tapered end 43 of the lower stub-axle extension 40, the levers reaching below the trunnion-'frame towards the middle of the vehicle. rlhe lever 41 is connected by a link 44 to an arm 45 which dependsfrom the bottom of the drivcrs steering column 46, it being connected to the latter in any suitable way, such as by worm gearing. The levers 41 and 42 are connected together by another link 47, the oints between the levers 41 and 42, the links 47 and 44, and the arm 45, being ball-and-socket joints. The link 47 is ointed to the lever 41 at a point closer to the pivot of the `corresponding stub-axle than the point at which the link47 is connected to the lever 42 is tov the piyot of the, other stub-axle. Consequently, when the lever 41 isimoved by the operatre of the turning circle for the vehicle.

Moreover, the nears'ide wheels 29 and 30 are connectedto their respective oifside wheels 31 and 32 by links 49 and 50, and convergingl arms 51 and 52 and 53 and 54, respectively. This method of interconnecting the roadwheels will ensure that Rall 'tour steering Wheels Will be moving along the circumfererices of substantially concentric circles when the vehicle is moving arou'nd a corner; The effect is illustrated in Figure 5, and it will be appreciated that during each steering operation, the road-wheels on the four stub-axles are deflected through different angles inversely proportionate to the angles between the plane of each wheel before deflection and a line joining the centre of the wheel to the centre of the turning circle of the vehicle.

Thus, referring to Figure 5, the angle ADC being greater than the angle ABC, the roadwheel 31 will be deflected through a smaller angle than the road-wheel 32. Furthermore, the angle ADC being smaller than the angle AFF, the road-wheel 31 will be deflected Vthrough a greater angle than the roadwheel 29.

lt will be seen that the connection orn the link 44 to the lever 41 being substantially in the straight line between the main axle and the point of connection of the link 44 to the driver-s steering column,'rotary movements of the road-wheels and trunnion members about the main axle will not impart jerk to the drivers steering column.

The construction shown in Figures 6 and 'i' is substantially the saine as that shown in the previous figures, except that both ends of the springs 15 are tree to slide longitudinally of the frame 12. rlhe axle 14 is anchored to the frame 12 by radius rods 55 which at l one end are secured to brackets 56 depending from the frame 12, and at the other end reach to the axle 14. rllhe link 44 in this construction is not attached to the lever 41, but reaches to a position immediately below the axle 14, and is there attached by a ball-and- Socket joint to the link 47. This construction has the advantage that since the main axle is anchored to the chassis independently of the ends of the vehicle springs 15, fiattening of the latter due to unevenness in the road, will not impart a jerk to the drivers steering Wheel. Furthermore, the point of.' attachment of the link 44 to the link 47 being comparatively close tothe main axle, rotary movements of the road Wheels and trunnion members about the main axle will impart little jerk to the drivers steering wheel.

The construction shown in Figures 8 and 9 is alsointended to obviate, as far as possible. the transfer ofshocks from the road-wheels Ito, the drivers steering column. The link 44 is connected 'to the lever 41 as in the construction shown in Figures 1 to 5, the points of attachmentof the lever 44 to the lever 41 and/to the arm 45, being in a straight line which substantially intersects theaxis of the main axle 14. The main axle and the roadwheels are anchored to the vehicle chassis by radius rbds 55, which at one end are attached to brackets 56 on the chassis, and at the other end are jointed to the trunnionI members. 1n Figure 9, the link is shown hinged to the curved trunnion arm 28. The point of attachment of the radius rod 55 to the bracket 56, and to the arm 28, are in a straight line which substantially intersects the axis ofthe main axle 14, and, of course, the vehicle springs 15 are free to slide in their chassis brackets. In consequence, flattening of the springs due to irregularities in the road surface will not impart any jerk to the drivers steering column, nor will movements of the forecarriage about the axle 14. The links 44 will move in substantially the same path as the radius rods 55 during passage of the vehicle over an uneven road.

' It will be readily understood that many modifications .may be made in the construction of the vehicle and its parts without den parting from the present invention, and that, moreover, the invention may be applied to vehicles having six or more wheels driven by internal combustion engines, electric motors, or any other desired means.

Iclaim:

1. A steerable road vehicle having a drivers steering column, a four Wheeled undercarriage which comprises, in combination, a main axle, trunnion frames mounted on the main axleY one at each side of the underv carriage, cach to oscillate on said main axle about a substantially horizontal axis independently of the other trunnion frame, four road wheel stub axles and means for mounting said stub axles, two on eachytrunnionI means for mounting said stub axles, one on the end of each arm of each trunnion frame in such manner that all four stub axles can turn each about a separate steering axis, four road wheels one mounted on each stub axle "and steering means which comprises two levers connected one to each of the two stubaxles on one side of the vehicle, a link connecting said levers and so arranged that its points ot' connection to the lever associated with the wheel adjacent to the end of the vehicle is nearer to the steering axis of the corresponding stub-axleI than the point of connection of the link to the lever, associated with the other wheel, is to the steering axis of the other stub-axle, two levers connected one to each 'of the two stub-axles on the other side of the vehicle, two track-rods connected one to each two levers appropriated to corresponding wheels on opposite sides of the vehicle, and a link connected to one of the first said levers and to the drivers steering column, and wherein the said first link and the said track-rods are so connected to the said.

levers that the traveling axes, about which the four steerable wheels revolve, 'intersect at', or approximately at, the center of the turning circle for the vehicle.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature.

ARTHUR CYRIL HUTT.

under-carriage, linkage inter-connecting four 4 stub axles so that they can be turned simultaneously in the same direction about their respective steering axes and a link connecting said linkage to the drivers steering column,

Y thc points of connection of saidlink to said 4, linkage and toY the drivers steering column i secting the main axle and the points of articulation to said radius-rod being such that when movement of the under-carriage relatively to the vehicle chassis occurs, the path of movement of the point of articulation between the rod and the under-carriage is substantially parallel to the path of movement of the point at which said link is connected to said linka e.

2. A steerale road vehicle having a drivers steering column and a four Awheeled under-carriage which comprises, in combination, a main axle, trunnion frames mounted on the main axle, one at each side of the undercarriage, each of said trunnion frames having a central bearing embracing the main axle on which it is mounted to oscillate about a substantially horizontal axis independently of the other trunnion frame and two arms rigid with each other and the central bearing, the ends of which arms lie substantially parallel to the main axle and are directed towards the outside Aof the vehicle to receive the 0 5 road wheels, four, road wheel stub axles,

heilig substantially in a straight line inter- 

